Well, one medical college may finally be closed down. A college up north which use to promote itself as the only medical college in the world with 5 medical programs may finally close it’s doors for students. Over the last few months, news appeared in mainstream newspapers that many of their staff has left due to non-payment of salaries. The latest appeared on 9/09/2014. I had written several times about this college which was facing huge financial difficulties, over HERE, HERE and HERE. It started with the withdrawal of the twinning partners, which automatically removed 3 of its medical programs. It was left with 2 medical programs, one of its own and a UKM degree. As I wrote in August, UKM absorbed all the MD UKM students from this college.
Thus, students from their own program and the remaining USU twinning students were left in the limbo. I received many emails from students and parents asking me what to do. Most students were already planning to do credit transfer to other medical schools but majority of them may need to repeat a year or so. I had a tough time giving them a solution. The best solution I could give the students is to get out of the college. They were not getting any training either. It is better to move on rather than waiting for the college’s decision. As for the parents, I asked them to get together and lodge a complain to MMC, MOE etc. I think the parents did do something about it.
ON 29/09/2014, a meeting was held between the students, MOE, MMC and representatives from other colleges. The students were given a choice to transfer to some of the other colleges namely CUCMS, UCSI, MAHSA etc. They were given just 1-2 days to decide! Interestingly, CUCMS has agreed to take ALL students into their campus without the need to do any repeat semester! I am not sure whether this has been approved by MMC. I am sure you are aware that CUCMS was derecognised by MMC in 2011 as they took in more students than what was allowed by MMC. Based on the current MMC list, it is rather confusing whether CUCMS is still recognised or not.
While I pity the students and at the same time feel happy that at least they got a solution at hand, I believe that all these could have been avoided if our society had done some research before putting their foot into something big. I know many had financial issues but still interested to do medicine. Thus, the generous “scholarship” that was given by this college attracted many middle-income families. I am sure many will be left with HUGE amount of loans! It may take a lifetime to settle their loans and will forever be in debt! I remember giving warnings to many students who seeked my advise to enter this college. However, students being students, they will never listen to advise given by a doctor who supposedly discourages people from doing medicine! They rather listen to the marketing guy from the college! I never discouraged anyone. I am merely stating the facts and the only advise I had always given is, not to do medicine for wrong reasons. Whatever I had said all this while is becoming a reality one after another!
If only they had listened to my advise, they could have avoided all these mess. Interestingly, after all this fiasco involving this college, I still had emails from students who have been offered a place to do medicine for September intake, asking me what they should do? I do not know whether to laugh or cry! Sometimes I am just dumbfounded with the type of questions I get from the current generation of students. Why walk into a sinking ship? Sometimes, I feel that many parents and students just want the degree MD or MBBS at the back of their name. They don’t care whether they are going to receive any training or not. They may very well walk out with a “license to kill”!
Both their own MD program and MD UKM program is still being listed in their website . But if you notice the comment section, the last comment was dated 30/08/2014! Probably, no one is running their website after the date.
This could be a blessing in disguise. With MOH struggling to give housemanship to graduates, the closure of some of the medical schools may very well be a good blessing. The waiting time is now getting close to 6 months! UNIMAS graduates in June will be only starting their housemanship in December 2014. I heard graduates from Russia who came back in June and attended interview in mid August are yet to get any date of employment! AND for those who listened to our latest 2015 Budget last friday, it is very clear that our government is running out of money! NO new hospitals were mentioned, no salary revision for civil servants and ministers. Basically, there were nothing much in that budget. There were some mention about increasing 1Malaysia clinic (which are shop lots BTW) and few new KKs will be built. I also heard that MOs will be sent to all 1Malaysia clinics as ALL the KKs are congested with MOs.
May GOD bless this country……………, BTW, looking at direction the country is taking, it does not look good!
Pagalavan's Avatar 
You think working in Australia now is a better option? Partly to secure a steady job, and another to secure a PR status for the whole family?
So what’s the intention of being a doctor in the first place? Thinking that medicine will gives you a well paid job? Helping the sick and poor? Or migrate to a better country for your self interest? BTW, it is easier to get Australian citizenship / PR by getting into non medical field.
What’s wrong with migrating to a better country for self interest? Many of us have a family to feed, and not born in a rich family. So to struggle here, I might as well struggle in a foreign land, at least the medicare and children education will be taken care of, although have to pay that hefty tax.
Are you talking about medicine? To work in Australia, you need to do medicine over there. Job is never guaranteed. Even their own citizens work on contract basis.
Dear Dr Paga, you are right. There is no guarantee of jobs for interns in Australia as they are having a big number of new graduates from medical schools too. No doubt that their consultants are well paid. http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/03/01/the-doctor-shortage-that-wasnt-too-many-gps/
Hi Dr,correct me,was mentioned that 2 hospitals are to be built in Trengganu and in Johor?
Oh, the Seri Iskandar in Perak and Dungun hospital? Those 2 has been mentioned before in previous budgets. Furthermore, these are not new hospitals. They already have hospitals but rather old building. It’s the same as the Pan Borne highway which has been mentioned for the last few budgets but never started!
I hope there will be more exposé of private medical colleges in Malaysia. The rakyat need to be aware of their scams as we can no longer rely on the gov/elected leaders to protect the public interest!
This is news. I didn’t know they’re halting the HOship intake.
Not halting but a waiting period
why would anyone downvoted this comment.readers of this blog are retarded bigot?
Freedom of downvoting. We have the right to downvote whatever we like.
The voting or liking, an invention of Facebook, is rather silly to me. This is a discussion forum, with opinions and facts, not a popularity contest.
its so scary..well,you call it..nice one dr paga..why the hell things as crazy as this could’ve happened
As u said the waiting period for housemenship now is up to 6 months but one of my junior graduated recently just waited for 2 months only. She is a foreign grad from indonesia.Regarding the overflow of MO’s in your last entry, I don’t really see it because the MO job in hospitals including in klang valley still highly demanding. Almost all the
departments need more MO’s. The housemens in these departments just
enough.
i am sure you know about “cables” in Malaysia!
As for MOs, no matter how many MOs you have, it will never be enough! The government service works by the number of post available and not the work load. The government can’t simply create post because it involves a lot of financial implications. AS I said many times before, the doctor: population ratio in Klang Valley is 1: 400 but why do you see most government hospitals in Klang Valley filled with patients and overloaded? The answer is : maldistribution! The only way the work load can be equally decided is when the government intergrates private and public sector!
Do you think there’s any ways that we can confirm with MMC regarding the recognition of CUCMS?
I dont really think it matter now. I had examined few CUCMS graduates that was offered post for HO this 27 October intake. They should be fine.
Ask MMC
for those who are not bonded to jpa, maybe you can try this.
http://www.hamad.qa/en/hcp/about_hmc/education_and_training/announcements/hmc_residency_programs/hmc_residency_programs.aspx
some of the program are already AIGME-i accredited which is the same standard (on paper) as post-graduate training in singapore. some other programs are still working towards the accreditation. although you may not receive similar training/ or what you expected as in master program in malaysia, but this would be better than jobless or training-less.
MMC may have not recognised the training (arab board / aigme-i), but at least at the same time you can arrange your own mrcp/h//mrcog certification and can come back to malaysia as specialist.
you dont need to know arabic but would be good if you know.
ps: the program is quite competitive as those egyptians/ middle easterners and south asians who are preparing for residency training in USA (ecfmg certified) are also applying
I had personally worked with CUCMS graduates and I was impressed.They are confident yet humble, good work ethics and knowledgable.CUCMS graduates should be fine.
This was taken from Berita Harian 2 days back.
Hi, Dr. Paga. What do you think about this post?
http://dr.syamirul.my/ho-dulu-dan-sekarang/
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